Concerns Over My New Xantia

[Penguin]

I have just completed the (Ebay) purchase of a 1995 Citroen Xantia 1.9TD. It drove home very nicely, brakes are a bit spongey but that could be Xantias as I've never driven one before. Other than that it appeared fine. When I got it home I opened up the bonnet and looked at the engine and it didn't seem to match up to the drawing in the owners handbook. In the drawing there is quite a lot of 'Gubbins' in fromt of teh fuel pump whereas on mine the Bosch pump can be clearly seen without much in front of it. Can anyone think of a reasonabe explanation for this disparity?

 

Cheers

 

Penguin

 

EDIT: I have been looking around on Ebay and found pictures in some of the listings.Item no: 120239254545 has an engine layout that looks like ours but Item Nos: 160222970830 and 170203404182 have configurations like those shown in the handbook. Can anyone shed any light on the difference?

[red_dwarfers]

The extra gubbins are extra bits. That cylinder just to the left front of the fuel pump is something to do with the aircon, I presume that the other bits and pieces are where Citroen have changed the engine layout a bit or possibly extra bits too.

 

The only bit I can be sure about is the air con!

[Guest Colin Hunter]

Xantias of that era had either a sunroof OR aircon but not both unless it was a VSX or Exclusive model. SO, if yours has a sunroof then no aircon which may explain the discrepancy. Another clue is the heater controls. are they just hot/cold or do they have numbers on the temp slider and a button with a * (Snowflake!) on the dash to the left of the wheel. If no numbers or * then no aircon.

 

The brakes shouldn't feel spongey. There is usually very little movement on the pedal at all which is why the brake lamp switch is built into the footpad. They may need a wee dose of looking at but if they work OK then they're probably OK. Xantia brakes are normally noted for being powerfull and a little sharp, so, again an overhaul will do no harm. Don't discount the main dealer when looking for brake parts. My local one is VERY competitive for discs/pads, especially for older models. £35 for rear discs/pads for my 110 HDi for instance.

 

Cheers. Hope this helps :D

[Penguin]

Cheers guys that has deffo helped! Aircon would explain it nicely. My model is aircon-less. Phew! I was beginning to feel I had been ripped off (although I'm not sure how!). Thanks again.

 

As for the brakes, maybe I wasn't describing the feeling well. I think that the 'problem' is due to little travel and 'feel' through feedback. Certainly seems to stop well. Haven't tried to see if it has ABS yet :D will wait until I get the road tax sorted before trying anything too extravagant! The car is registered under the disabled tax class so its a bit of a faff getting Road Tax, but will hopefully have it sorted by middle of next week and then I can enjoy getting to know my new Xantia. She certainly feels a far more refined animal that my now deceased ZX.

 

Thanks again for all your help

 

Penguin.

[Guest Colin Hunter]

Depending on the model it may not have ABS. Although it was standard on all the MK2 models, the MK1s only had it as standard from SX upwards. So if yours is an LX then probably not. Look for a device with lots of pipes coming from it in between the LHM tank and the fuse box next to the battery. If it's there it's the ABS control unit. If not, No ABS!

 

You don't get a lot of feedback through the Xantia brake pedal. That's because you aren't actually providing the braking force with your foot, merely opening a spring loaded valve to allow pressure from the system to do the work for you. It's a bit odd at first but you'll soon get used to it and come to appreciate the lack of effort required on ANY of the controls. I certainly find my sons ZX a bit of a chore after the Xantia, but it's way way better than most cars at 12 years old and 112,000 miles!

 

I've had 3 Xantias and enjoyed them immensely, however encroaching decrepitude in the form of an arthritic hip has made entry and egress difficult, hence the Picasso!

 

Cheers and happy motoring! :D